This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for guiding a vehicle and more particularly to a method and apparatus for guiding a vehicle along sequential paths through a work area.
Many off-road vehicles, especially farm vehicles, utilize GPS guidance systems. In a farm vehicle, such a system can help an operator guide the vehicle in consistent paths across a working area. Generally these systems utilize abstract virtual images to represent the working area. An actual position icon may be superimposed on the virtual working area image to represent the vehicle's position within the working area. A desired path indicator image may be superimposed on the working area virtual image to show the desired path for the vehicle. The relative positions of the actual position icon and the desired path indicator indicate whether the vehicle is on the correct path, and what adjustment needs to be made to move towards the desired path.
These abstract virtual displays can be useful and satisfactory for guiding an operator down a straight path, in order for the operator to remain on the desired path. However, because the virtual display does not visually correspond closely with what the operator is seeing in the real world, it can be very difficult for an operator to correlate the virtual display on the screen with what the operator is seeing outside of the vehicle. Therefore, when it is necessary to maneuver the vehicle around an obstacle, or to turn the vehicle back to make a next path along the previous path, it can be difficult for the operator to correctly position the vehicle.